The fallout and controversy continues to surround the Kennedy Center after the hostile takeover of the Theatre in February by the current White House administration.
The latest controversy is the June 11 performance by the national touring production of “Les Miserables” where several of the cast members have announced that they will be boycotting the performance. The issue at hand is the celebrity scheduled to attend the performance – the POTUS and chairman of the Kennedy Center.
The show is planned as a fundraiser for the Kennedy Center.
While specific actors’ names have not been released, the show says around a dozen of the cast members…including principal characters…intend to boycott the show and not perform.
Current Kennedy Center board president Richard Grenell noted, “any performer who isn’t professional enough to perform for patrons of all backgrounds, regardless of political affiliation, won’t be welcomed. In fact, we think it would be important to out those vapid and intolerant artists to ensure producers know who they shouldn’t hire—and that the public knows which shows have political litmus tests to sit in the audience. The Kennedy Center wants to be a place where people of all political stripes sit next to each other and never ask who someone voted for but instead enjoys a performance together.”
A loyalist follower of the President, Grenell was appointed after every non republican and loyal follower was thrown out after the hostile takeover. The previous bipartisan board is now filled with only Republicans and loyalists.
According to cast members the contract states the show must go on. Steve Czarecki said, “Les Mis has been doing everything it can to make the show happen at the Kennedy Center while also allowing space for cast members to make incredibly difficult decisions. Some of us are doing the show, some of us aren’t. And believe me, none of us want to be part of this mess.”
Czarnecki added that the actors who are going on stage will be donating their salaries for that night to charity – Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.
While the current administration has been chopping funding to aid groups, charities, and arts organizations – including eliminating the National Endowment for the Arts; the House committee has proposed a $257 million budget for repairs and upgrades to the Kennedy Center. Before all of the cuts, the Kennedy Center receive $43 million per year with a vast majority of the operating budget coming from the box office.